What to drink at Easter with regional sweets while staying in the territory of origin
Easter is now near and during this period there are many regional sweet specialties that enrich our tables: from North to South, for example, there is the classic Milanese dove Easter symbol now widespread throughout the peninsula (and even beyond the border), while on the opposite we find the Sicilian cassata, dessert that does not need a specific occasion to be eaten. In short, each region has its own typical recipe to conclude the lunch on Easter Sunday and if the menu always has a wine to eat, you should not arrive unprepared in the pairing on the dessert. We mapped 8 Italian regions to suggest some winning pairings according to the principle of sweet concord with sweet.
Lombardy – Dove
Let’s start with the sweet symbol of Easter par excellence, the dove, a soft and delicious leavened product based on flour, butter, eggs, sugar and candied fruit, which is covered with icing and almonds in its classic version. It has its roots in the medieval era and the legend has as its protagonist the King Alboino, architect of the siege of Pavia in the 6th century. It seems that after saving the city from looting, the king was offered a sweet dove-shaped bread on Easter day as a symbol of peace and respite. For the combination of the wine remain in Lombardy, we propose Demi Sec Franciacorta of Ricci Curbastro (price € 14.90).
Piedmont – Chocolate Egg
Milk or dark chocolate, loved by adults and children, not many know it, but the chocolate egg with the surprise is of Piedmontese origin, one of the Easter traditions. In 1725, in Turin, the widow Giambone was the first to have the idea of filling the empty egg shells with melted chocolate and it was immediately a great success. It was in 1925 that the classic surprise loved by children was introduced into the egg. And it was the success of this egg that gave rise to the famous Kinder Surprise, born in Piedmont in 1974, when Michele Ferrero, given the strong enthusiasm of the children, decided to give the little ones “Easter every day”. The combination depends on the type of chocolate, if it is white chocolate or milk chocolate we can combine it with the Erbaluce ofCaluso Passito of the Ferrando Winery . While for dark chocolate you can opt for a Barolo Chinato , that of the Monfalletto di Giovanni and Enrico Cordero di Montezemolo farm . Price 40 euros.
Friuli Venezia Giulia – Triestine forceps
Citrus scents and lots of softness. The Triestine tongs are a leavened focaccia that has the shape of a low panettone, with two cross-shaped cuts on the dome, a representation of the martyrdom of Jesus. It can be eaten both as a dessert and stuffed with salami. In the sweet version, the regional pairing we recommend is with Verduzzo Friulano Amabile La Sclusa . Price 12 euros.
Veneto – Brasadele Broè
They look like typical donuts that are traditionally prepared in Verona during the Easter period, its shape resembles the crown of thorns, a symbol of Jesus’ passion. The term “broà” is the voice of the verb “broàr”, that is, “scald with boiling water “. In fact, the donuts are scalded in boiling water, the processing is then long and complex because, after boiling, they are left to dry before being baked in the oven the next day. The traditional combination is with a Recioto della Valpolicella from Cantina Monte dall’Ora . Price 38 euros.
Umbria – Ciaramicola
We are in the heart of central Italy, precisely in the region of Umbria, and here is this typical donut-shaped cake, red in color, covered with white icing and embellished with colored sugared almonds, symbol of the Easter festival. Characteristic of this dessert are the two sticks made with the same dough, arranged crosswise in the donut hole, as a sign of blessing. We recommend tasting it with a glass of Montefalco Sagrantino Passito from the Scacciadiavoli farm , a very traditional combination. Price € 24.
Campania – Neapolitan Pastiera
This is a typical Neapolitan dessert that has also spilled over into other regions of Southern Italy. It comes with an elastic but crumbly shortcrust pastry shell that contains a creamy filling made with ricotta, wheat and candied fruit, all embellished with aromas of cinnamon, wildflower and orange blossom. The combination with Antonio Caggiano’s Passito Mel is unsurpassed . Price 43 euros.
Sardinia – Sardinian Pardulas
Pardulas (or padruasa in the local language), are sweets made from sheep’s ricotta, flour, saffron and lemon zest, enclosed in a crunchy pastry made from durum wheat semolina, almost to represent a basket that brings with it a sweet gift. They are then brushed with honey, thus completing the most typical Easter cake on the island. Its irresistible aromas of saffron and honey go well with a glass of passito Nasco from Cagliari : we recommend Amentos di Nasco from Cantina Sardus Pater . Price 14 euros.
Sicily – Sicilian Cassata
In Sicily the queen of Easter lunch is undoubtedly her Majesty the Cassata. This exquisite dessert has now become a symbol of Sicilian gastronomy, as well as Easter cake par excellence. The cassata was the work of the Palermo pastry chef Salvatore Gulì in the 19th century. It represents itself as a perfect synthesis of the cultural heritage of all the dominations that have alternated on the island: ricotta from the Romans, marzipan and brown sugar from the Arabs and chocolate from the Spaniards. Try it with a Passito di Pantelleria Martingana by Salvatore Murana , a perfect wedding! Price 55 euros.
